Long Lost Friends
by LuckyKoneko
Summary: After the events in the Duelist Kingdom, Shadi meets a friend from long ago. Together, they discuss the roles they play. Oneshot, no pairings. Please read and review. I suck at summaries.


**{Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh or any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic}  
[A/N: This fic just randomly popped up in my mind when I was reading some fanfics. Enjoy!]**

Many years had passed. Years of waiting in darkness. And now, after three thousand years, the Pharaoh had returned. The Millennium Puzzle had been solved, the Items had chosen their new wielders. Not all of them had, though. One had remained with its original owner. The man had been allowed to hold another Item as well. He should be happy with that.

Shadi wasn't.

He had been the Pharaoh's loyal Priest. He had remained, while the others had passed on. Now he was here, in an era he did not understand, waiting... Waiting for the Items to gather once more, waiting for the Pharaoh's memories to return... Waiting for his chance to pass on and join his friends once more. Still, one of them would not be there...

"Shada."

Shadi looked up, but did not see anything. "Who was that?" he asked, tightly clenching the Key. Someone laughed, but unamused. "Have you forgotten, Shada? Have you forgotten about me?"

"Answer me!" Shadi yelled, trying to sound brave. He searched for a prescence, but did not sense any. The one who had called him by his long-forgotten name must be a powerful sorcerer. "Who are you? How do you know who I am?" Shadi asked. The voice remained quiet for some time.

"...So you really did not recognize me."

"Recognize you?" Shadi asked, confused. "How could I recognize you if you do not show yourself before me?"

"But I have shown myself, Shada. You simply have not seen."

"Stop talking in riddles" Shadi hissed. Holding the Key in one hand, he took the Scales in the other. The Scales remained calm, balanced. Whoever the strange man was, he was not evil. Or the Scales did not sense the man's prescence either.

"Fine, then," the man finally spoke. "I will show myself."

Shadi watched as shadows gathered to form the shape of a man. No, not a man. A Duel Monster. A _Ka_, as they had been called long ago.

Shadi was left speechless. Trying to get a hold of his thoughts, he looked at the familiar spirit. It couldn't be. It couldn't...

It was.

"Now do you recognize me?" the Dark Magician asked. Shadi nodded. "I do... Mahad."

"Mahad..." The Dark Magician sighed. "I have not been called by that name for a long time."

"I know that" Shadi said, smiling at his friend. The Magician did not smile. His light blue eyes - why had they changed? - seemed to see everything Shadi had tried to hide. "In the Pharaoh's Soul Room, you did not recognize me. You wanted to fight me."

"So I did" Shadi replied. "I am sorry for that, Mahad. I did not realize it was you."

"You should have known" the Magician said, his voice no longer cold and distant. Shadi smiled, knowing his friend did not feel anger towards him. "So you are here as well."

"You have found the others?" the Magician asked. Shadi nodded.

"I have."

"Not all of them have the Items they used to have."

"I know that."

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" A slight smirk flashed across the Magician's face.

Shadi remained quiet for a few seconds. He knew he could not hide anything from Mahad.

"I did" he replied. "I tried to avoid causing any more trouble."

"You failed at that" the Magician said, a strange tone in his voice. Sadness, perhaps?

Shadi bowed his head. "I know that. I did not know about the Thief's spirit, nor did I know about the Tomb Keeper's other half. If I had known..."

"It wouldn't have made a difference" the Magician said. "Their paths have been determined long ago. They only have to follow them. And that also goes for us, Shada. You should not interfere any more."

"I never intended to interfere with the natural course of events" Shadi said, feeling himself being pushed back. "I know I cannot change their paths. But..."

"They do not need your lead" the Magician said. "We simply have to follow our paths. Do not stray off your path, Shada. I did, and look where it brought me!" For the first time, the Magician's voice had sounded frustrated.

"You did not stray off" Shadi said, a soothing tone in his voice. "You are close to finishing the part you have to play."

"I am not, and you know that" the Magician said angrily. "It will not end before the scales have tilted. We cannot change our paths. We cannot determine which road will end, and which one will go on. Only the Pharaoh can."

"You are right" Shadi said. "And yet I cannot do anything but try to change the course of events. I am still human, even though my body has been destroyed long ago."

"Do not fall for temptation, Shada" the Magician spoke. "Do not stray off your path."

"I will not" Shadi said firmly. "I will do nothing but what I need to do."

The Magician smiled. "That's how I know you."

Shadi smiled as well. "Goodbye for now, my friend. I'll see you in the Afterlife."

"If we make it that far" the Magician said dryly.

"Of course we will get there" Shadi said. He did not want to think about the other option. He wanted to... To what? 'Live' was not the right word. Exist. Yes, that was it. He wanted to exist. He wanted his soul to remain. He wanted to see his friends again. With that thought in mind, he turned to his friend. "Farewell, Mahad."

"Farewell, Shada" the Magician spoke, his body slowly vanishing. "And if we do not make it... My last thought will be a memory we all share."

The Magician disappeared, leaving Shadi alone with his thoughts. The Tomb Keeper let his mind wander, for he did not want to think about the past or the future. "Mahad was right" he muttered. "I should not try to change anything... But can I refrain myself from interfering?" He knew the answer to that question.

He couldn't.

**[A/N: So, this is my first fanfic ever to be posted on my account. Please review. If you think it sucks, tell me what I should improve.]**


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